A company that is building more than 20 miles of natural gas pipeline in Northeast Pennsylvania is asking U.S. District Court to block an attempt by environmental groups to disrupt the project.

Tennessee Gas Pipeline Co. LLC argued in a complaint filed this week that the Pennsylvania Environmental Hearing Board is pre-empted by federal law from taking action on appeals by the Delaware River Network and the Responsible Drilling Alliance that could delay construction.

Houston-based Tennessee Gas is constructing nearly 41 miles of 30-inch pipeline in Pennsylvania and New Jersey as part of an expansion known as the Northeast Upgrade Project. Just under 22 miles of the new pipeline will be in Wayne, Pike and Bradford counties.

In December, the environmental organizations filed an appeal and two petitions with the Environmental Hearing Board, challenging project permits issued by the state Department of Environmental Protection. The EHB is scheduled to conduct a hearing on the requests beginning Monday.

In its complaint, Tennessee Gas said the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has approved construction of the pipeline, issuing a notice to proceed on Dec. 14. Under federal law, the company said, a state agency such as the EHB is pre-empted from taking any further action in reviewing the DEP permits.

For Tennessee Gas to satisfy its contractual commitments, the company said the pipeline must be completed and in service by Nov. 1, a deadline that requires it to undertake a number of time-sensitive tasks.

For example, to avoid violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recommends any tree cutting for the Pennsylvania portion of the project take place before March 31.

Similarly, tree cutting for a Pike County portion of the project must be done by the same date to reduce impacts on the Indiana bat, the complaint said.

"Any delay, no matter how brief, may have a cascading effect of dramatically delaying project completion," the company said.

Tennessee Gas, which seeks both preliminary and permanent injunctions, is asking the court to direct the EHB to dismiss the pending appeals and to order Delaware River Network and Responsible Drilling Authority to stop pursing relief before the board.